1st grade read aloud

All posts in the 1st grade read aloud category

The Snail and the Whale, by Julia Donaldson

Published November 3, 2013 by Dagmar

I was so happy to find this book at my local bookstore.  I knew it would be a hit the minute I saw it.  I love Julia Donaldson’s  book, Room on the Broom, also illustrated by Alex Scheffler. Like the rhymes in Room on the Broom, the rhymes in this book are great, not forced or tiresomwhale and the snaile, and Alex Scheffler’s illustrations, wonderful.  It’s a story of curiosity, adventure and friendship that you won’t want to miss.  Be sure to check out my lesson idea using this book.

The Snail and the Whale is about a snail who sits on a rock with lots of other snails but dreams of traveling the world.  The other snails mock him, but this snail is determined to go on an adventure.  He writes “Ride Wanted Around the World” on the rock.  Soon, a whale arrives, offering to take the snail around the world.  Together they travel the oceans, seeing icebergs, “fiery mountains” and “golden sands”.  Until one day, confused by speed boats in a bay, the whale is beached.  The snail, though small, thinks of a plan.  He makes his way to a school where he writes “Save the Whale” on a chalkboard.  All the school children mobilize the town’s firefighters to help the whale swim back to sea.  Once saved by the children, the Snail and the Whale return to ocean and the rock where their journey started.  Once there, they tell the story of their adventures to the other snails.  The book closes with the whale once again leaving the rock, but this time, with all the snails on his tail.

My first graders really loved this book.  I think it’s great for read alouds to kindergarten through second grade classes and even younger readers at home.

Seven Blind Mice, by Ed Young

Published July 2, 2013 by Dagmar

seven blind miceThis Caldecott Honor book is a favorite with my young readers.  I usually read it to pre-k through 1st grade.  The colors are brilliant, set on a black background.

Seven mice, red, green, yellow, purple, orange, blue and white, try to understand the large object in front of them.  Each one feels a different part of the whole and makes a guess as to what the object must be.  It isn’t until the seventh mouse runs “up one side, down another and across the Something from end to end” that he discovers that the “Something” is an elephant.  The others, then do the same and agree with the white mouse.   The moral? “Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole.”

The Z was Zapped, by Chris Van Allsburg

Published June 27, 2013 by Dagmar

the z was zappedI’m a fan of Chris Van Allsburg’s work, particularly of The Garden of Abdul Gasazi.  I save most of his books for my older students, so finding a book that my younger students can enjoy is great.  As always, there are incredible black and white illustrations and just a touch of dark humor in the book. This is definitely a different kind of alphabet book. 😉

In the Z was Zapped, the entire alphabet, presented in “a play in 26 acts”, meets its demise on stage.  “The A was in an avalanche.  The B was badly bitten.  The C was cut to ribbons…”  It’s fun watching my students guess at how each letter meets its end.  This was perfect for my 1st graders.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Mo Willems

Published June 26, 2013 by Dagmar

Pigeon busWhatever you do, DON’T let the pigeon drive the bus.  Mo Willems has a great sense of humor, and this book is simply hilarious.  There is not one class, pre-k through 5, that doesn’t laugh hysterically when I read this book.

Pigeon really wants to drive the bus.  But, the only thing the bus driver as asked you to do is NOT let pigeon drive the bus.  Sounds easy, right?  Well, pigeon really, really wants to drive this bus.  He’ll tell you just about anything to get to drive the bus.  Any adult that’s been around a child will recognize Pigeon’s ploys as he tries to cajole you into letting him drive the bus.

Enjoy!  You may just be laughing as loud as the children around you.

This book won a Caldecott Honor in 2004.

Patrick’s Dinosaurs, by Carol Carrick

Published June 15, 2013 by Dagmar

Patricks DinosaursThis is a sweet book about a little boy with a vivid imagination.  Great for young dinosaur lovers.

Patrick and his big brother Hank go to the zoo.  When Patrick sees an elephant, he says, “I’ll bet that elephant is the biggest animal in the whole world.”  His brother tells him that “a brontasaurus was heavier than TEN elephants!”  As Hank tells Patrick about prehistoric animals, they all come alive in Patrick’s imagination.  Stegasaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex.  Luckily, just before Patrick’s imaginary Tyrannosaurus Rex does anything too dangerous, Hank assures him that dinosaurs have long been extinct.  Phew.  Enjoy!

Corduroy, by Don Freeman

Published June 10, 2013 by Dagmar

corduroy 1 I think I read this book to my son about a million times – no, two milion times.  It’s a book I remember loving from my own childhood.  This book doesn’t seem to age.  The best thing, though, is to see the looks on the faces of my preschoolers and kindergartners when I read them this book.

Corduroy is a about a little teddy bear sitting on the shelf of a department store who is missing a button on his overalls.  A little girl named Lisa wants to buy Corduroy, but her mother won’t let her, because he doesn’t look new.  A button is missing on Corduroy’s overalls.  That night, after the store closes, Corduroy searches the department store for a button to fix his overalls.  Lisa, determined to bring Corduroy home, returns the next day with all her savings so that she can buy Corduroy, despite his missing button.  In a very sweet ending scene, as Lisa sews on a new button to Corduroy’s overalls, both Corduroy and Lisa realize that they’ve each found a friend.

Big Mean Mike, by Michelle Knudsen

Published June 8, 2013 by Dagmar

Big Mean MikeWow did my students love this book!  It’s a lot of fun, and the illustrations by Scott Magoon are great.

“Big Mean Mike was the biggest, toughest dog in the whole neighborhood.”  He has the meanest looking car and really mean looking combat boots.  When he opens his trunk to put in a package, there is a bunny – a really, really cute little bunny.  Nothing is less big and mean than a really, really cute bunny.  Big Mean Mike, puts it on the ground and drives away.  The next day, the cute bunny is back with a friend.  Big Mean Mike again leaves the bunnies on the sidewalk and drives away.  This continues until the day that Big Mean Mike goes to the monster truck show.  He then finds four really adorable bunnies under the driver’s seat of the car.  He leaves them in the car to go into the truck show, but then just can’t leave those incredibly cute bunnies in the car.  So, he sneaks them into the monster truck show.  Eventually, he can’t resist their cuteness and lets them out of their bag to watch the show.  As you might suspect, the other dogs tease him when they seem Big Mean Mike with four little bunnies.  This is the best part of the book… The bunnies growl back at the dogs that are teasing Big Mean Mike.  Then, Big Mean Mike tells those dogs that he can be friends with whomever he wants.

This book is so great.  I love the Big Mean Mike has a soft side and that he’ll stick up for himself when he does something that other dogs would be afraid to do.  Go Big Mean Mike!  Go Bunnies!

Of Thee I sing, by Barack Obama

Published May 30, 2013 by Dagmar

of theeI find this book incredibly inspiring.  Many thanks to Amelie’s Bookshelf for the recommendation.  I went out and bought it and used it for my final week of library classes.  I read it to students in grades 1-5.

President Obama’s book is a letter to his daughters about the people that made our country wonderful.  He starts, by saying, “Have I told you that you’re creative?” and then talks about Georgia O’Keefe.  Each page, he talks about a quality exemplified by the person he highlights, including Helen Keller, Cesar Chavez, Neil Armstrong, Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King, Jane Addams, Abraham Lincoln, Maya Lin, Sitting Bull and others.  Some people, like Georgia O’Keefe, Maya Lin, Jane Addams and Helen Keller were less familiar to my students.  It was nice to have the opportunity to talk about these amazing people and the importance of their work.  Most importantly, President Obama finishes the book by saying that America is full of people of all different races, religions and ideas.

This book is a beautiful, touching book.  It’s especially great to share.  The illustrations by Loren Long are wonderful.  My students quietly while I read the book to them (good quiet, not bored quiet).  Afterward, we went from student to student and talked about which person or people inspired them the most.  I loved hearing students talk about the people that inspired them, particularly when they mentioned people they’d first learned about in the book.

The Painter and the Bird, by Max Velthuijs

Published May 26, 2013 by Dagmar

painter and the birdHere’s an oldie but goodie that I found on the shelves of my library.  It can be easy to dismiss books, because they aren’t current.  In this case, you would miss a wonderful story.  The dedication, “To those of us who have ever been lost or lonely” is touching.  This book really moved my students and led to great discussions about the value of friendship.

The once was a painter who was very poor.  He had one favorite painting of a strange and wonderful bird.  Then, a wealthy man comes and wants to buy the painting.  The painter does not want to sell his favorite painting.  When the wealthy gentleman offers more and more money, the painter, who needs money desperately, accepts the money and sells his painting.  The wealthy man hangs the bird painting in his fancy house.  The bird, who is magical, misses the painter and flies out of the painting.  The bird begins a long search for the painter.  In the meanwhile, the wealthy man goes to the painter’s house demanding his money back, because the bird left his painting.  Now, the painter has no bird and no money.  At last, the bird finds its way back to the painter, and the painter promises never to sell the bird painting again.

Too Tall Houses, by Gianna Marino

Published May 20, 2013 by Dagmar

Tall Tall HousesI was drawn to this book because of the really beautiful illustrations and was so happy that my 2nd graders loved this book. The animals’ expressions are incredibly well drawn. My students giggled when they saw Owl’s face as Rabbit poured water on his head. There is one page that made all my students say, “ooohh”.

Rabbit and Owl live next to each other. Rabbit grows vegetables, and Owl likes to look into the forest.  Everything is going well until Rabbit’s corn grows too tall. The friends begin to build their houses taller and taller until their houses are high above the earth.  Now Rabbit can’t carry water to his plants and Owl can’t see the forest.  When everything comes tumbling down, Rabbit and Owl figure out that they can build one small house together.

I loved it!  Enjoy!